Apparatus for eliminating initial stretch of drive-chains.



E. P. MORSE, DEOD.

L. MORSE, EXEGUTRIX. APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH 0F DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1913. 1,986,839.

Patented Feb. 10, 191i ZQ Z.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON n c.

E. P. MORSE, DEOD.

L- MORSE, EXEOUTRIX. APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH OF DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1913.

1,086,839., Patented Feb. 10, 191 i 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES llVl/E/VTOR WW E. F. MORSE, DEGD.

L. MORSE, EXEGUTRIX.

APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH 0F DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 14, 1913.

1,086,839. Patented Feb. 10, 191i 4 SHEETS-SHEET 8. e.

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E. P. MORSE, DEGD.

L. MORSE, EXEGUTRIX.

APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH 0P DRIVE CHAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1913.

1,086,839. Patented Feb. 10, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES INVE/l/TO ENITE TES PATENT FFIG.

EVERETT F. MORSE, OF ITI-IACA, NEW YORK; LOUISE MORSE EXECUTRIX OF SAD EVERETT F. MORSE, DECEASED.

APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING INITIAL STRETCH OF DRIVE-CHAINS.

osasse.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19,191

original application filed April 11, 1913, Serial No. 760,365. Divided and this application filed May 14,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EVERETT F. MORSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Eliminating Initial Stretch of DriveChains, of which improvement the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of drive chains, and more particularly that type of chain known as multi-plate drive chains for transmitting power, in which each link is formed of a plurality of arch shaped plates interspersed upon the pintles with the plates of adjacent links, it is the practice to manufacture the link plates by stamping or punching the same from a thin metal strip, and also to form the apertures for the pintles and bushings by punching the desired shaped openings in the ends of said plates. The bearing surface of the apertures thus formed by punching the plates is necessarily not as smooth as a machined surface and may have minute projections or roughness which en gage the surface of the pins or bushings forming the pintle parts, when they are inserted in the apertures. When the chain is thus assembled and started running, the first wear which occurs between the pintle parts and the link plates is the pounding down of these minute projections due to the successive applications of stresses or hammer like blows between the pins and their bearing surfaces in the apertures whereby the pins or pintle parts soon become firmly embedded in their seats and bear uniformly upon the surface of the apertures. While these projections are very minute, being only a small fraction of an inch, for example less than one thousandth of an inch, still this amount is sufiicient when multiplied, as it is, by the number of joints in the chain, to produce a material lengthening which is termed the initial stretch of the chain. This preliminary stretching or lengthening of the pitch of the chain is particularly objectionable as it occurs at the beginning of the use of the chain, and the lengthening from this cause does not continue to increase after the pintle parts become firmly embedded in their seats in the apertures of the link plates.

The object of my invention is to provide Serial No. 767,544.

an apparatus for eliminating the initial stretch in drive chains before they are put out in service, and it comprises certain constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims.

Various forms of apparatus embodying my improvement may be constructed, but I have illustrated an apparatus having a spreading device adapted to be inserted into the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain to engage the edges of the link plates, and exert a stress longitudinally of the chain in the same direction as the stresses are transmitted through the plates and pint-le parts when the chain is running in actual service, the back or outside of the links being supported by a base or head. In order to apply the stresses in the form of rapid vibrations or blows, one of the parts, preferably the base or head portion may be rapidly reciprocated 01' vibrated through a short traverse toward and from the other member and thereby exert a series of stresses or blows in rapid succession upon the edges of the link plates.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an apparatus embodying my improvement; Fig. 2, a transverse section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4; Fig. 3, a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section showing the clutch device and the driving gear connection; Fig. 4, a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a plan of the spreading device, the operating pit-man therefor being indicated in horizontal section; Fig. 6, a vertical section of the spreading device taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5, and showing the same inserted into the arched recesses of the links in operative position; Fig. 7, a similar view showing the spreading device withdrawn from its engagement with the links of the chain in its inoperative position in which the chain may be shifted to bring another set of links beneath the spreading device; Fig. 8, a detail sectional view of the clutch device; Fig. 9, a sectional View of the same taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10, an elevation illustrating a modified form of spreading device; and Fig. 11, a section of the same taken on the line l1ll of Fig. 10.

According to the construction shown in the drawings, the apparatus comprises a frame, 12, which may be supported in any suitable manner, and having a horizontal flange or bench, l3, and a vertically projecting portion, 14, in which is journaled the shaft, 15, carrying the driving gear, 16, at one end and a crank or eccentric, 17, at the other end, on which is pivotally connected the pitman, 18. The multi-plate drive chain, 26, from which the initial stretch is to be eliminated, is supported in a straight horizontal position upon the bench, l3, and is adapted to be shifted longitudinally from one position to another as desired, beneath the spreading device which may be constructed of two jaws, 19 and 20, pivoted in the form of a toggle, at the lower end of the pitman, 18. These jaws may be formed with alternate lugs, 21, extending more than one half the distance around the pin portion, 22, at the lower end of the pitman, and also have thinplates, 23, secured upon the opposite ends of the jaws and entirely surrounding the pin, in order that the jaws may be securely supported on said pin, as shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, of the drawing. 3

The ends of the toggle jaws are suitably formed to be inserted into the arched shaped recesses of the links upon the inner side of the chain, and to engage the edges of the plates forming the links in a similar manner to a tooth of a sprocket wheel, and as the pitman reaches its lowest position, the ends of the toggle jaws exert a powerful stress or blow, longitudinally in opposite directions, against the edges of the link plates in the same direction that the stresses are transmitted through the joints of the chain when the same is running in actual service. These impulses or blows have the effect of pounding the plates against the pins or pintle parts of the joints, thereby eliminating the minute projections in the apertures of the plates, and forcing the parts home to a smooth and approximately uniform bearing between the pintle parts and the link plates of the chain. For the purpose of guiding the spreading device in its vertical movement, the pin, 22, may engage a block, 25, sliding vertically in guides, 24.

The downward component of the stress applied to the spreading device is resisted by the support for the chain links upon the opposite side, and in order that the stress or force may be applied in the form of a series of impulses or blows exerted in rapid succession, one of said parts, preferably the support, may be given a rapid vibratory or reciprocating motion toward and from the other part. As shown in the drawing, the bench or flange, 13, is provided with a reciprocating head, 27, which supports the chain links opposite the spreading device,

same together.

and is pivotally mounted on the toggle links, 28 and 29, pivotally connected at the center to a pitman, 30, driven from a crank or eccentric, 31, on a shaft, 32, having a pulley, 38, (see Fig. 4:), for driving the same continuously. The head, 27 is thus caused to vibrate or reciprocate rapidly through a very short traverse thereby exerting a series of impulses or blows in rapid succession, and subjecting the edges of the link plates to a rapid pounding action while the spreading device is in its lowest position. It will be understood that the shaft, 32, with the crank, 31, pitman, 30, and vibrating head, 27, are driven continuously by means of the pulley, 38, but that the spreading device is raised and lowered periodically, it being retained in its lowest position as long as desired by the operator, and then raised for allowing the chain to be shifted to its next position.

For the purpose of varying the force of the impulses and for adjusting the parts for different sizes of chains, the guide block, 33, to which the link, 29, is pivoted at its lower end is mounted to slide vertically in guides in the frame and may be adjusted. by means of the differential screw, 34.

Any suitable or preferred form of mechanism may be employed for rotating the shaft, 15, and crank, 17, periodically for in serting and withdrawing the spreading device, but as shown in the drawings, the gear, 16, is driven with a velocity ratio of one to two by a gear, 35, on a shaft, 36, having a pulley, 37, which may be driven continuously in any suitable manner. The pulley, 37, and the gear, 35, may be loosely mounted upon the shaft with suitable means for prejventmg long1tud1nal movement, and have a one revolution clutch for connecting the Such a construction may comprise a sliding bolt, 39, mounted 1n a slot in the wheel, 35, with a spring, lO,

tending to throw said bolt into its locked ,position in the notch or recess, 11, in the hub of the pulley, 37, and also having a lateral projection, 12, at its opposite end.

This project-ion is provided with a beveled face adapted to engage a corresponding face on the end of the sliding latch, 43, which is mounted in a socket in the bracket, 44-, and operated by a bell crank lever, 45, in any suitable manner, aspring, 16, normally holding said latch in its extended position. A

pivoted dog, 47, is adapted to engage anotch in the plate, &8, secured to the gear, 35, to

stop the same at the desired point, the dog having a pin and slot connection, 19, with the latch, all as more particularly shown in Figs. 3, S, and 9 of the drawings, The latch in its extended position is adapted to engage the sliding bolt and hold the same withdrawn into the slot in the gear, 35, so that the pulley, 37, may run freely without turning th driving gears. A friction band, 50, may be applied to a hub on the gear, 16, if desired.

hen it is desired to raise or lower the spreading device, the bell crank lever, 45, is operated by a foot treadle, or otherwise, thereby withdrawing the latch, 4-3, raising the dog, L7, out of the notch, and releasing the sliding bolt, 39, which is instantly forced into its locked position by the spring, 10. The gears, 35 and 16, then begin to revolve, and the latch returns to its extended position. lVhen the gear, 35, has made one revolution, the beveled face of the projection, i2, engages the end of the latch, thereby withdrawing the clutch bolt to disengage the gear, 35, from the pulley at the same time that the pivoted dog, 47, enters th notch in the plate, 48, and arrests further movement of the gears. As these gears are of the ratio of two to one, the gear, 16, makes one half of a revolution, while the gear, 35, makes complete revolution, and the pitman, 18, is thus raised to its elevated position indicated in Fig. 7, whereupon the drive chain may be shifted either automatically, or by any suitable means, to its next position. The clutch is then again operated and the pitman with the spreading device is again lowered into its operative position in which the edges of the chain links are subjected to a rapid pounding action by the vibratory motion of the head, 27. This op eration is then repeated until all the joints or the chain have been treated by the spreading or pounding action for firmly seating the pintl parts in their hearings in the apertures of the link plates, thereby eliminating the initial stretch from the drive chain.

Various forms of spreading devices may be designed for use in connection with this improvement, and in Figs. 10 and 11, I have shown one such modification, in which an inverted U shaped metal bar, 51, is employed, the lower ends of which are formed in the desired shape to serve as the jaws for being inserted into the recesses of the links of the chain, and engage the edges of the link plates. The lower ends of the legs of the bar are provided with inclined sur faces upon the inside, for cooperating with the wedge bar, 52, which is concave at its upper end for engaging the crank, 17. Springs, 58, are located between lugs, 54:, on the jaws, and lugs, 55, upon the wedge bar for holding the wedge bar normally up against the crank. When the crank is turned to itsupper position, the jaws are raised out of engagement with the links of the chain, and when turned to its lower or operative position, the jaws are inserted into the recesses of the links, and the wedge bar is driven down by the crank, thereby exerting a wedging action upon the jaws and thrusting the same laterally in opposite directions against the link plates, the spring bar, 51, being SllfllClQlltlY elastic to permit of this spreading movement. The action upon the link plates is substantially the same as before described in connection with the other form of jaws, as will be readily understood.

I do not claim herein the improved method above described, of eliminating the initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, since said method is claimed in my original application Serial No. 760,365, filed April 11, 1913, of which this application is a division Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, and means for forcing the members of the spreading device in opposite directions longitudinally of the chain.

2. .An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, and means for imparting a series of impulses or blows in rapid succession between said spreading device and the link plates.

3. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, a movable head for supporting said links upon the opposite side, and means for reciprocating said head.

1. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, means for inserting and withdrawing said spreading device, and a movable head for supporting said links upon the opposite side.

5. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, at head for supporting said links upon the opposite side, and means for rapidly reciprocating one of said parts and thereby impart a succession of impulses or blows between said spreading device and the link plates.

6. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, a movable head for supporting said links upon the opposite side, a mechanism for rapidly reciprocating the head, and means for adjusting the position of said head relative to the spreading device.

7. An apparatus for eliminating the initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a toggle spreading device having pivoted jaws adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, means for applying pressure to said toggle, and a head for supporting said links upon the opposite side.

8. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, com prising a toggle spreading device having pivoted jaws adapted to enter the arched recesses of the links upon the inside of the chain and engage the edges of the link plates, a head for supporting said link plates upon the opposite side, and mechanism for rapidly reciprocating said head.

9. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the recesses of the links and engage the edges of the link plates, a crank for inserting and withdrawing the spreading device, and a driving clutch mechanism for turning said crank intermittently through one half of a revolution.

10. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, comprising a spreading device adapted to enter the recesses of the links and engage the edges of the link plates, a crank for inserting and withdrawing the spreading de vice, a gear for driving said crank, another gear meshing with the first gear for drivin the same, a clutch for driving the second gear, and means operatingautomatically to throw the clutch out of engagement at the end of each complete revolution of said second driving gear.

11. An apparatus for eliminating initial stretch from multi-plate drive chains, c0mprising a spreading device having jaws adapted to enter the recesses of the links and engage the edges of the link plates, a pitman and crank for operating said device, a driving clutch mechanism for turning said crank through a partial revolution, and means for then automatically throwing ofi the clutch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EVERETT F. MORSE.

itnesses E. N. JACKSON, M. E. HOLMES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents, Washington, D. C. 

